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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-12-06, Page 7Wednesday, December 6, 2006 TIMES—ADVOCATE 7 Recapture the child inside at Christmas By Linda Barnard SPECIAL TO TIMES -ADVOCATE Christmas is just around the corner. How did this happen? Halloween was about four weeks ago wasn't it? Pressure, pressure. Maybe you're just not into the whole holiday thing this year. It's just not like it used to be when you were a kid, is it? I have the answer, the cure for holiday woes, the spark to light your Yulelog. Go see Santa Claus. I mean it. Go to your local shopping place. Head for the reindeer and turn left. Talk to the guy in red. You will not feel like a dope. You'll even get a candy cane. Just don't try to sit on his lap. Santa doesn't need a triple hernia for Christmas. Recently, I went out to interview Santa. He smiled at me, and motioned with a crooked finger to step up. Without a word of a lie, 30 years fell away. I felt that little lurch in my stomach, that combination of nervousness and excitement. For just a brief minute I wasn't a 36 year old with a mortgage, leaking roof and low back pain. I was a little girl and Santa was smiling at ME. I shook his gloved hand. We chatted for a couple of minutes. Santa's level gaze never left my eyes, his smile was warm, he listened to what I was saying. He even had a genuine beard. This Santa looked like he had just stepped out of the pages of Clement C. Moore's poem which begins, "T'was the night before Christmas..." Most of us have memories of sitting on Santa's lap, whispering our dreams in his ear. My husband says the real Santa was at Simpson's because that's where his Mum took him each Christmas. He even got the day off school to do it. Lucky stiff. I, too, believed in the Simpson's Santa, but mine was in London, Ontario I hope the real Santa is still out there somewhere, now that Simpson's is gone. I can't remember a single request I made of Santa as a child, but when I take down the family albums and look at the photos snapped over the years of this childhood ritu- al, I'm always struck by the look on my face - a mixture of awe, love and complete trust. Seeing Santa wasn't motivated by simple greed, it was more than that. This was like meeting the most famous, influential person in the world and he was the property of kids everywhere. Mall Santas (and these are, of course, Santa's helpers, since Santa is very busy at the North Pole) vary. A few days ago, my friend the leggy blonde and I were Christmas shopping. She was helping me pick out a gift for hubby. My girl- friend was lagging a bit. I heard a soft sigh. she was tired and it had been a long day, a long month, a long year. Then we came up on Santa's castle. "Look inside", I told her. She did, and saw Santa cuddling a small boy who was earnestly whis- pering into his ear. A slow smile crossed my friend's face, sat there and glowed. See? It really works. Hurondale W celebrate Christmas By Bev Campbell EXETER — The Christmas meeting of the Hurondale W.I. took place on Wed., Nov. 29 at the home of Lorraine Alexander where a lovely lunch was served. Following lunch and in the absence of president Fern Dougall, vice president Marian Dougall opened the meeting with the Institute Ode and the Mary Stewart Collect. The roll call was answered by naming favourite Christmas music. Reports were given from the fall rally held in Dashwood in October. Also a POLICE BRIEF Truck stolen from driveway report on the London Area Convention held in October at Thorndale. There was an executive meeting held here in Exeter where some upcoming events were discussed and dates given out. The District Annual will be in May and Hurondale will host. The District Picnic will be in July with Crediton as hosts. The Zurich W.I. will be dis- banding in the coming year. Business being concluded the programme committee took over. Lorraine Alexander read a few humourous read- ings and conducted a Christmas bingo contest. Marilyn Pym then instructed the group in the craft of mak- ing beaded Christmas candy canes. Marilyn ended with a reading and refreshments were served. Articles for the Children's Hospital in London were col- lected and the members exchanged Christmas gifts during the social time. T h e January meeting will be Jan. 31, 2007 at the home of Helen Webber. LUCAN — A blue 1993 Ford 150 with a white topper 5667FC was stolen from a driveway on Richmond Street north of Lucan Nov. 26. The OPP have no sus- pects. Westland ,ii GREENHOUSES Invites you to stroll through our indoor Tropical Paradise • Cedar Roping • Boughs • Amaryllis • Poinsettias • Wreaths • Christmas Cactus and much, much more! 10133 Lakeshore Rd., Hwy. 21 3 kms South of Grand Bend Open 7 Days a Week 8am - 5pm PH: 519-238-1321 COUP\ I'DOWN TO C ONLY 19 DAYS TMAS Capsule Comments by Ernie Miatello The use of ultrasound to examine unborn children in the womb is common practice today. This technology was first used in Scotland in 1958. Drinking alcohol to treat a cold is not good advice. Alcohol suppresses the immune system that you need to be strengthened during times of illness. Also, alcohol is a drug itself and can be a bad mix with other medications. So forget the alcohol but drink lots of water and fruit and vegetable juices while you have the cold. Do you know how we are told that 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times per week would be good for us? Did you know that there are 336 30 -minute blocks of time in one week? Out of all those blocks, let's dedicate at least three of them to exercise our bodies. ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a neurological disease affecting approximately 3000 Canadians. Research is on-going to try to slow the progression of this very devastating disease. There is some preliminary optimism about the use of stem cells in restoring movement in paralyzed mice which hopefully can be used in humans in the future. If you are planning a winter holiday this year, be sure you bring enough of your medication with you. You may be able to obtain the same medications where you are heading but it's much better to bring your own. Cheaper too! Huron Apothecary Ltd. Phone 235-1982, 440 Main St. Exeter PHARM ASSIST "YOUR HEALTH CARE PHARMACY" Santa's waiting fd> your 1etteriJ Santa has asked 1=!w - Q his helpers at the—• j` Exeter Times Advocate to collect letters rom his little riends and print them in the Christmas edition on December 20. 1 Santa loves to see pictures of the children who write to him, so please send one along. Write the child's name on the back. If you wish to have the photo returned to you, either pick it up or include a SAS envelope. DROP YOUR LETTERS OFF AT THE TIMES ADVOCATE OR SEND TO: Santa Claus c/o Times Advocate 424 Main St., Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6 or e-mail ads@southhuron.com DEADLINE IS WED. DEC. 13 PLEASE KEEP THE LETTERS SHORT AND VERY NEAT AS MR. AND MRS. CLAUS HAVE A LOT OF READING TO DO. USE PEN PLEASE. Child's Name: Place of Residence. Age Parent's name(s)